Bitter Wild (20 page)

Jack
shook his head. “There’s no time for that, now. We’ve got to get up that hill
and get her away from him.”

The
sheriff nodded. “Any ideas about how?”

Jack
glanced over his shoulder before turning back to them and giving the sheriff a
nod. “Yeah, I’m going up the hill out in the open. He doesn’t know you’re here.
I’ll keep him distracted while you two work your way through the trees so you
can flank him.”

The
sheriff arched a brow. “Doesn’t sound like much of a plan. Seems more like
suicide for you. What’s to keep him from putting a bullet in your head the
minute he sees you?”

Jack
shrugged. “Nothing, but I don’t think he’ll be in that much of a hurry. He’s an
arrogant bastard. I’m betting that he’ll want to gloat a little before he kills
me.”

The
sheriff’s expression was grim. “That’s a risky bet, son. It could get you
killed.”

Jack
nodded. “It might. But either way, it’ll give the two of you time to get to him
before he hurts Casey. Right now, that’s what worries me the most.”

The
sheriff finally nodded his acceptance of Jack’s plan. They didn’t really have
any other choice. Jack turned around and began to climb the hill. Casey was up
there. Jack didn’t imagine that Jester would be raping her, yet. He’d want to
deal with Jack first. There was no telling what Jester might do to her in the
meantime, though. He liked hurting women. Jack felt his gut clench and his
blood run cold as he imagined Casey being hurt by the bastard. Maybe he was
committing suicide by putting himself in Jester’s sights. If that’s what it
took to save Casey, then it was a price he was willing to pay. He loved her
that much.

It was
a hell of a time to realize he was in love with her. Truth was, he’d been
feeling it coming on for a while. He just hadn’t been willing to admit it to
himself and certainly not to her. He was an idiot, that’s what he was. A
stubborn idiot and the sorriest excuse for a federal agent that had ever had
the misfortune to wear the badge. This was his fault, all of it, and he was
probably going to pay for his colossal mistake with his life.

Casey
barely allowed herself to breathe. Jester had a knife to her throat that had
already nicked her more than once. She could feel the sting of the cuts and the
blood running down her throat. He had the knife in his left hand and a gun in
his right. His face was right next to hers and he’d been gleefully recounting
how easily he’d misled them. The bastard had never let himself believe he’d
gotten rid of them. He was paranoid enough to always assume they were right on
his heels. He had been shocked to find himself trapped on the ridge, but he’d
figured it would work to his advantage if he could fool them into believing he
was dead. He killed a deer and collected the blood to spill onto the rocks
below, then tossed the carcass over the edge of the falls. Then he hid in the
one place they hadn’t dreamed of looking. The water tank. The tank was filled
from the stream up the ridge and had an overflow drain that kept the water
level constant. He used the running water of the drain to wash away his scent
on his way to the tank, then washed the ladder down with more water. It was no
wonder Chance hadn’t picked up his scent.

Casey
felt tears gather in her eyes. He’d shot Chance. She clenched her hands into
fists. She wanted to kill him for that alone. But she no longer had a gun or a
knife or any other weapon. Jester had rid her of them right after he winged her
arm with his second shot. The wound burned, but it wasn’t bad. She could still
move the arm and she’d gotten a good enough look at it to know it was little
more than a scratch. He’d drug her up the hill, laughing all the way and
congratulating her on her skill as a lover as well. She felt her skin crawl as
she imagined him peering through the cabin window at her and Jack the night
before. He’d watched them, and he made no secret of the fact that he meant to
personally pick up where Jack had left off. Over her dead body. Whatever it
took, she would not allow this monster to abuse her like that.

She
gasped as the knife came tighter to her throat. Her gaze lifted and she felt
her stomach clench as she saw Jack walk into view. He had his gun aimed
directly at her. Jester was using her as a shield and she knew Jack wouldn’t
risk a shot as long as she was in the way. There wasn’t anything she could do
about it at the moment, though, so she waited.

“Let
her go!”

Jester
snickered. “Arrogant SOB, aren’t you? How about you drop that weapon before I
slit her pretty little throat from ear to ear?”

 “She
knew the risks when she agreed to be our guide. You better believe, though,
that the second you kill her, I’ll put a bullet in your brain.”

Jack
bluffed very convincingly. Casey could almost believe he didn’t care if she
lived or died.

Jester
wasn’t buying it, however. “Oh, come on. You expect me to believe you’ll let
your bedmate die? I don’t think so. Not after what I saw last night.”

Jack
would have cursed if it would have helped. Jester knew they were lovers. He’d
watched them. Jack hated to think about how that must make Casey feel, but he didn’t
dare shift his gaze to her. He had to keep all his focus on Jester. He had to
give the sheriff and John enough time to get in position.

“Hey,
it’s been a long few days. She’s hot and she was convenient, but I’m hardly in
love with her.”

Jack’s
words hit Casey like physical blows. Was that all she was to him? She didn’t
want to believe it. She’d known all along that it was different for her than it
was for him, though. She’d known and she’d chosen to become his lover anyway.
She couldn’t hate him for being who he was.

Jack
thought for a minute that Jester might believe him. He saw the uncertainty in
the man’s eyes. But Jester was nothing if not defiant. He jerked the knife
tighter to Casey’s throat, causing her to cry out as the blade sliced into her
skin. “Let’s see how little she means to you.”

Casey
braced herself, expecting to feel the blade dig into her. Jack shouted for
Jester to stop, though.

“Wait!”

Casey
opened her eyes. Jack had taken one hand off his gun and was holding it up.
“Just wait a minute.”

Jester
laughed again. “That’s what I thought.”

Jack
was out of options. Jester would kill her, even if it meant killing himself. He
had nothing to lose and he knew it. Jack sincerely hoped that Stan and John had
gotten close enough to take the bastard out. He’d hate to die for nothing.

“Okay,
I’ll put my weapon down.”

Casey
would have shaken her head if she could. The knife at her throat prevented any
such movement. So she called out to Jack instead.

“No,
Jack! He’ll kill you!”

Jack
ignored her. He slowly lowered the gun, then tossed it aside, well out of his
reach. Jester waved his gun at Jack.

“On
your knees.”

Jack
obeyed. Casey was crying. He could hear her sobs and they broke his heart. He
wished he could tell her it would be okay. He wished there was some way he
could let her know that they had help. He didn’t dare risk alerting Jester, so
he ignored her, keeping his eyes on the maniac with the gun.

“You
thought you were so smart. Well, I outsmarted both of you, didn’t I? And now
I’ve got myself a guide and a toy. Don’t worry, I’ll take real good care of
her.”

He
laughed again and Casey’s skin crawled.

“You
won’t get away, Jester. Sooner or later, someone will put you down like the
rabid dog you are.”

Jester’s
laughter stopped. “Maybe, but you and this sweet thing will both be dead long
before that happens.”

Casey
felt him tense, felt him steady his gun arm. He was going to shoot Jack. She
felt a moment of panic before her instincts took over. She’d been guiding
people into these woods most of her life. She’d lost the man she loved here and
she’d sworn that she would never lose anyone else under her protection. She
didn’t know why Jack would sacrifice himself. He had to know it wouldn’t do any
good; Jester would kill her, too. But there was one thing she could do to make
a difference. Jester had wanted to make sure no one could sneak up behind him.
He’d backed them up almost to the edge of the cliff just below the falls. The
water was roaring behind them and she was damp from the spray billowing up from
below. Jack might not be able to save her, but she could save him.

She
focused on him, willing him to look at her. Jester had eased the knife away
from her throat. He clearly didn’t think she was any threat. Casey wanted Jack
to look at her. She wanted him to know she loved him. Finally, just as Jester’s
grip on the gun tightened, Jack’s gaze flashed to her. Casey gave him a smile.
She saw the confusion in his eyes and then saw them widen as she gave him a
small nod. Then, while Jester was anticipating the firing of the bullet, she
threw herself backwards as hard as she could. She heard the gun discharge and
saw that Jack wasn’t struck. She saw him scramble to his feet and heard him
scream her name just before she and Jester slipped over the edge.

Jack heard
Jester scream all the way down. When the scream finally fell silent he ran
forward and fell to his knees at the edge of the drop. He leaned out over the
edge as far as he could, but couldn’t see the pool of water below. He heard
Stan shouting behind him.

“Get
that chopper up here, now!”

Jack
turned around and saw John running toward the cliff. He spotted Jester’s rope
and picked it up to toss it over the edge. Jack got to his feet as John took
hold of it and all but jumped off the cliff. Jack ran to meet the sheriff at
the edge of the cliff. Jack’s gaze scanned the rolling water of the river as it
tumbled over rocks on its way through the valley. He sucked in a sharp breath
as he saw a body in the water. It bobbed up to the surface just before slamming
into a large rock. Jack recognized the jacket Jester had been wearing. He also
knew, from the way his body bent when it hit the rock, that the man was dead.
He watched as the water carried Jester away, tossing him around like a rag doll
until he finally disappeared beneath the surface and never came back up.

Jack
closed his eyes as he imagined Casey doing the same thing. She’d done it for
him. He saw that much in her eyes right before she threw herself and Jester
over the edge. She’d sacrificed herself for him. He felt every muscle in his
body clench. He wasn’t worth it!

He
heard a shout from below and opened his eyes. John had reached the bottom and
was working his way across the boulders toward the edge of the river. He was
moving fast, too fast for the slippery rocks. He’d gone over that cliff without
a moment’s hesitation. He was running full tilt over rocks covered with water
and moss. Obviously, the man was in love with Casey. Jack felt his heart
shatter in his chest. He’d taken her to bed because he wanted her, but John was
the man who deserved her. He would never have put her in this position in the
first place. He wouldn’t have let her take the risks Jack had all but
encouraged her to take.

Jack
heard the sheriff’s walkie-talkie crackle to life.

“I’ve
found her, Stan. She’s alive, but she’s hurt pretty bad.”

Stan
spoke into his radio. “Chopper’s on its way, John. You tell her to hold on.”

It
seemed like an eternity before the heavy thump of the chopper’s rotors became
audible. Jack watched as the chopper came into view, then watched as a medic
and a basket were lowered. Jack could barely believe she was alive. He couldn’t
imagine anyone surviving that fall. But then Casey had proved repeatedly that
she was a survivor. He glanced over at the sheriff. “Tell them there’s another
patient.”

Stan
frowned. “What?”

Jack
ignored the question as he turned and ran down the hill. He found Chance lying
right where he’d fallen. The big dog was still breathing, but it was clear that
he’d lost a lot of blood. Jack lifted the massive animal into his arms and
turned to hurry back up the hill. He’d barely reached the top when he saw the
basket holding Casey as it was hauled up to the chopper. Jack called out to the
sheriff. “Tell them to take the dog, as well.”

Stan
nodded and used the radio to let the medics know they had another patient. Jack
heard them argue, but the sheriff insisted and they finally agreed. They
lowered the cable to pick up their medic on the ground and lifted him to the
ridge, where Jack helped him rig a harness to safely lift Chance into the
chopper. Before the medic lifted off, Jack met the man’s gaze.

“I’m
the federal agent in charge. You give this animal the same attention you give
her, understand? Make sure there’s a vet waiting for you when you land. If she
survives and he doesn’t, I won’t be the only one you’ll have to contend with.”

The
medic nodded, then signaled the chopper that he was ready. Within minutes both
the medic and Chance were aboard the chopper and it swung around to head back
to civilization. Jack watched it until it disappeared. Casey was alive, but God
alone knew if she’d stay that way.

Jack
moved to help Stan haul John back up the side of the cliff. Once they’d pulled
him up, Jack saw the moisture in the man’s eyes. He locked gazes with the
sheriff. “She’s in bad shape.”